Bush calls Iraq intel critics irresponsible
Scott Bannon
November 11, 2005
Is this another era of 'to question Bush is unpatriotic?'
President Bush used Veterans Day as an opportunity to attack Democrats and everyone else who's challenged the intelligence that was used to "sell" American's on going to war in Iraq.
There is a valid argument to be made about numerous Democrats who voted for going to war and now cry foul, often citing the patriotic atmosphere for "making the wrong choice at the time". That sounds like little more than "I caved to peer pressure" to me, and I'm saddened to think our highest elected officials would be so susceptible to the tactics of schoolyard bullies.
Still, isn't it a sign of intellect and enlightenment for one to be able to review their own actions in hind-sight and admit mistakes? Yet, despite republican leaders and the White House acknowledging that the pre-war intelligence was if not manipulated, at least faulty -- I haven't heard one claim that it lead to a mistake.
But what really bothers me, and here is where my (irresponsible according to Bush) criticism begins, is the fact that knowing now how faulty our pre-war intelligence was and that it helped lead us into a war that's cost over two thousand American lives and countless casualties for Iraqi citizens and Coalition forces -- why hasn't one single intelligence officer or agency head been held accountable?
To date, the only intelligence agent that I'm aware of who's been negatively affected is Valerie Plame, the CIA operative who's covert status was allegedly exposed to the world by Vice President Cheney's staff.
When a call-center operator embarrasses their company by speaking harshly on the phone, they're fired. If a cashier at the local store miscounts change and costs the company a few dollars, they're fired. But collect and miscalculate intelligence that is used in a Presidential decision which costs thousands of lives and no heads roll?
That's my criticism, not of any specific individual -- but rather of the hypocritical, political beast in general that demands tax and legal accountability of citizens while refusing to accept any accountability itself.
President Bush used Veterans Day as an opportunity to attack Democrats and everyone else who's challenged the intelligence that was used to "sell" American's on going to war in Iraq.
There is a valid argument to be made about numerous Democrats who voted for going to war and now cry foul, often citing the patriotic atmosphere for "making the wrong choice at the time". That sounds like little more than "I caved to peer pressure" to me, and I'm saddened to think our highest elected officials would be so susceptible to the tactics of schoolyard bullies.
Still, isn't it a sign of intellect and enlightenment for one to be able to review their own actions in hind-sight and admit mistakes? Yet, despite republican leaders and the White House acknowledging that the pre-war intelligence was if not manipulated, at least faulty -- I haven't heard one claim that it lead to a mistake.
But what really bothers me, and here is where my (irresponsible according to Bush) criticism begins, is the fact that knowing now how faulty our pre-war intelligence was and that it helped lead us into a war that's cost over two thousand American lives and countless casualties for Iraqi citizens and Coalition forces -- why hasn't one single intelligence officer or agency head been held accountable?
To date, the only intelligence agent that I'm aware of who's been negatively affected is Valerie Plame, the CIA operative who's covert status was allegedly exposed to the world by Vice President Cheney's staff.
When a call-center operator embarrasses their company by speaking harshly on the phone, they're fired. If a cashier at the local store miscounts change and costs the company a few dollars, they're fired. But collect and miscalculate intelligence that is used in a Presidential decision which costs thousands of lives and no heads roll?
That's my criticism, not of any specific individual -- but rather of the hypocritical, political beast in general that demands tax and legal accountability of citizens while refusing to accept any accountability itself.
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